Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 4.djvu/374

CONTARINI riences was presented to the Senate 16 November following. During his absence he was named "Savio di terra ferma", i. e. president of a commission charged with the affairs of the Continental possessions of Venice, and he assumed the duties of this office. In 1527 he represented the Republic of Venice in the Congress of Ferrara, where the Duke of Ferrara joined the league, formed against the Emperor Charles V, between France and several states of Italy. In 1528 he was sent as ambassador to the court of Clement VII (1523-34), with instructions to retain the pope in the above-mentioned league, and to defend the action of the republic in withholding from the pope the cities of Ravenna and Cervia, seized during the late invasion of the Constable Bourbon. Contarini failed in both objects. Venice was forced not only to surrender the aforesaid cities, but also to make peace with the emperor; it was concluded through Contarini in January, 1530, at Bologna. On 24 February following, Contarini assisted at the solemn coronation of Charles V in Bologna, and then returned to Venice, where he presented the usual report to the Senate on 9 March. In compensation for his services he was appointed to several high positions in the government of the republic, and ultimately became a member of the Senate.

Contarini was created cardinal by Paul III in 1535. He accepted the honour and went to Rome (Oct., 1535). He used his influence with the pope to sup- press abuses in the papal government and to secure virtuous men for the Sacred College. Contarini was the president of a commission appointed by the pope in 1536 to submit plans for a reform of evils in the Roman Curia or in other parts of the Church. It was largely due to him that, early in 1537, the commission could present its programme, the "Consilium de emendanda ecclesia". He advised the pope not to abuse the great jurisdiction placed in his hands; and encouraged his friends among the bishops to take appropriate measures for discipline and good order in their dioceses, setting an example in his own Diocese of Cividale di Belluno, to which he was appointed in October, 1536. St. Ignatius acknowledged that Contarini was largely responsible for the papal approbation of his society (1540). At the desire of Charles V, Contarini was sent as papal legate to Germany in 1541, and took part in the conference held at Ratisbon between Catholics and Protestants in hope of conciliating the latter. As it gradually became evident that the differences in doctrine could not be bridged over, the conference was broken off; Contarini remitted the final decision of all articles of faith to the pope, and returned to Rome. In January, 1542, he was appointed cardinal legate at Bologna, where, after a few months, death put an end to his career. His remains were interred, first in the church of San Petronio, then transferred to the church of the monastery of San Proculo, and finally, in December, 1565, to the family tomb in a chapel of the church of Santa Maria (IcU'Orto in Venice.

Contarini's principal works are the following: (1) "Libri duo de immortalitate animie"; (2) "De officio episcopi libri duo"; (3) "De magistratibus et republici Venetorum libri V"; (4) "Compendii prinue philosophiae libri VIII"; (5) "De potestate Pontificis"; (6) "De elementis libri V"; (7) "Con- futatio articulorum sen qua^stionum Lutheri"; (S) "De libero arbitrio"; (9) "Conciliorum magis illus- trium summa"; (10) "De Sacramentis cliristianae legis et catholicx ecclesia; libri IV"; (11) "Do justificatione"; (12) "Cathcchismus"; (13) "De Precdestinationo"; (14) "Scholia in epistolas divi Pauli". In many of these writings Contarini touched upon the questions raised by Luther and other reformers; in stating the Catholic view, however, he was not always fortunate. Thus, in describing the process of justification, he attributes the result largely to faith—not to faith with incipient charity in the Catholic sense, but to faith in the sense of confidence. However, he departs again from the Protestant view in including in the preparatory stage a real breaking away from sin and turning to good, a repentance and detestation of sin. Thus also, in describing the essence or the causa formalis of justification, it requires not only the supernatural quality inherent in the soul, by which man is constituted just, but in addition to that, the outward imputation of the merits of Christ, believed to be necessary owing the deficiency of our nature It would be unjust nevertheless, to class Contarini among the partisan of the Reformation. The above-mentioned views were taken only in part from the teaching of the Protestants; as yet the Church had given no definite decision on these matters. Moreover, Contari wished always to remain a Catholic; at the Conference of Ratisbon he protested repeatedly, that he would sanction nothing contrary to the Catholic teaching, and he left the final decision of all matters of faith to the pope.

, Regesten und Briefe des Cardinals Gasparo Contrini (Braunsberg, 1881);. Gasparo Contarini, eine Monographie (Braunsberg, 1885); in Kirckmlex. (Freiburg un Br., 1884), s.v..

Contarini,, Italian painter of the Venetian School, b. at Venice about 1549 ; d. in 1605. Contarini was a contemporary of Jacopo Palma called Palma Giovine. He was a great student of the works of Tintoretto and Titian and is declared to have been an exact imitator of Titian. According to an old story he was so extremely accurate in his portraits that on "sending home one he had taken of Marco Dolce his dogs began to fawn upon it mistaking it for their master". Contarini's work is extremely mannered, soft and sweet, but distinguished by beautiful rich colouring and executed very much on the lines Titian's painting. His finest picture is in the Louvre having been removed from the ducal palace at Venice and represents the Virgin and Child with St. Mark and St. Sebastian, and the Doge of Venice, Marino Griman kneeling before them. Other paintings of his are in the galleries at Berlin, Florence, Milan, and Vienna and in many of the churches at Venice. He painted easel-pictures of mythological subjects, which are treated with propriety and discretion but are peculiarly lacking in force and strength; in many of the palaces in Venice he decorated ceilings. Some years of his life were passed at the court of the Emperor Rudolf II, with whom he was a great favourite and by whom he was knighted. His work has been described by one writer as a "combination of sugar cream, mulberry juice, sunbeam and velvet", but the criticism is a little unjust and one or two of his works for example the "Resurrection" in the church of St. Francesco di Paolo at Venice, can claim to be masterly. This picture is certainly a fine piece of colouring, well composed and well carried out.

The chief authority is, Venetian Artists (Venice, 1648);, The Renaissance in Italian Art (London. 1898); , The Italian Schools of Painting (London, 1900).

Contemplation.—The idea of contemplation is intimately connected with that of mystical theology that the one cannot be clearly explained independent of the other; hence we shall here set forth what mystical theology is.

.—Those supernatural acts or states which no effort or Labour on our part can succeed in producing, even in the slightest degree for a single instant, are called mystical. The making of an act of contrition and the reciting of a Hail Mary are supernatural acts, but when one wishes to produce them grace is never refused; hence they are not mystical acts. But to see one's guardian angel, which does not in the least depend on one's own efforts, is a mystical act. To have very ardent sentiments of Divine